Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 81: Orochimaru Is a Spy Sent by Konoha!

"Long time no see, Shigen... Lord Shigen."

Even Black Zetsu's way of addressing him changed instinctively.

It wanted to say something but dared not. In the end, it could only offer a cautious greeting.

At that moment, Black Zetsu noticed a change in Shigen—it was as if an invisible barrier had grown between them, an insurmountable distance.

The Sage of Six Paths...

It had to be because of the Sage of Six Paths.

If Shigen had changed, then it could only mean that he had met the Sage in the underworld. That damned old man—what had he told Shigen!?

"I met the Sage of Six Paths," Shigen said, as if he had not forgotten their long-standing agreement.

"What did he say?"

Black Zetsu's heart tightened. It quickly tried to preemptively frame the conversation with its usual lies. "Does he still believe that humanity should decide its own fate rather than leaving it to Kaguya?"

It had already prepared its excuses.

All of Kaguya's so-called evil deeds—turning humans into White Zetsu, punishing humanity—were merely part of her divine right to determine their fate.

It planned to convince Shigen that no matter what the Sage had said, Kaguya, as a god, was responsible for guiding the world.

It knew Shigen would accept this logic.

And truthfully...

Shigen had once believed that as well.

But this time, he had something new to say.

The reanimated man remained silent for a moment before his lifeless eyes slowly lifted. The air around him turned eerily cold.

"I don't know."

"I may have failed you, Black Zetsu."

"I no longer believe the Sage of Six Paths will help us."

"I used my chakra to force my way through the underworld and reached the rift between life and death, where I saw countless lost souls..."

"I freed those souls, guiding them back to the Pure Land, and in doing so, I learned of countless tragedies."

"..."

Black Zetsu sighed internally.

Shigen...

Even in death, he was still a good person.

Perhaps that was why it had always trusted him.

A good person like Shigen meant it didn't have to constantly live in fear.

"But..."

Shigen's voice turned icy. "While those people suffered in life, while their souls wandered lost in the void... that so-called god was right there, drifting aimlessly through the rift between life and death. Never once did he care about the pain of the living or the lost souls of the dead. I don't understand what that god truly values."

"..."

Black Zetsu understood the Sage's thoughts all too well.

Did it even need to guess?

He was obviously keeping an eye on Kaguya's potential return.

But it couldn't say that to Shigen.

Instead, it analyzed the situation.

Logically speaking...

If the Sage still had power, he wouldn't have ignored the world's suffering. He would have tried to intervene.

If he wasn't doing so, it meant his residual strength wasn't enough to affect the present world.

After all, he was just Kaguya's son, not a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki. That was why he, too, was bound by the limits of mortality.

But...

This was a good thing!

Shigen's disappointment in the Sage was exactly what Black Zetsu could exploit.

Because it knew one thing—Shigen never lied to it.

If Shigen had truly realized the truth about Kaguya and turned against her, he would have sealed or confronted Black Zetsu immediately instead of standing here talking about the Sage.

So that was it...

That was why Shigen had changed.

He had lost faith in the Sage of Six Paths.

Black Zetsu immediately seized the moment to sow further doubt.

"Don't be discouraged, Shigen," it said. "Maybe, in the Sage's eyes, the world hasn't yet fallen far enough to require Kaguya's return."

"No."

"I once told Madara..."

"That this era wasn't beyond saving."

"But clearly, I was wrong. Everything is exactly as he predicted—shinobi conflict has escalated beyond control, and the world has spiraled into a hopeless abyss."

Shigen shook his head and looked at Black Zetsu.

"In the underworld, I heard stories even darker than those of forty years ago. This world is filled with conflict and lies. It has plunged deeper into chaos than ever before."

"You see Kabuto, the one beside me?"

Shigen casually used Kabuto as an example, his tone cold.

"He and his adoptive mother were manipulated by Danzo, forced into a situation where they had no choice but to kill each other. And that boy—the one who once deceived me to steal my power—has now become just as ruthless and extreme."

"This isn't your fault!"

Black Zetsu quickly tried to absolve him of responsibility. It used the opportunity to bring up Danzo.

"The Akatsuki once tried to achieve peace like you did. But when it grew strong, Danzo crushed it once."

"Shigen..."

"No matter how hard you try, you cannot change the hearts of those consumed by darkness."

"Just like you could never change Tobirama's prejudice against Madara."

"And now..."

"Everything that has happened in this world proves only one thing—"

"Our plan is the only correct path. Letting greedy, self-interested humans save themselves is impossible. Only a true god can change everything!"

"But..."

Shigen leaned back on the experiment table, resting his chin on his palm, his voice disturbingly calm.

"Will Lady Kaguya truly save this world?"

"There is only one thing I fear."

"If Kaguya is revived, what if she turns out like her son—the Sage of Six Paths? What if she chooses to simply watch, waiting for humanity to change, and ignores their suffering?"

"That won't happen."

"A great mother sees all as her children."

Black Zetsu stepped closer to him, its raspy voice coaxing him.

"Shigen, you are the one most like Kaguya. When I look at you, I see her shadow."

"Only you possess the same boundless love that she does."

"..."

Shigen slowly lifted his head.

"Shigen."

"If the Sage refuses to act..."

Black Zetsu extended its hand, offering him the same choice as before.

"Then forget about him. Shigen, let's finish what we started—on our own!"

"..."

Shigen remained silent for a long time.

Black Zetsu grew anxious.

But then...

Shigen gripped its hand tightly.

"You know..."

A strange smile appeared on his face.

But the smile wasn't one of hope.

It was bitter.

"Black Zetsu..."

"Doesn't this feel just like the first time I was resurrected?"

"Back then, I didn't know about Kaguya. I thought the world was a dead end, so I desperately chose to trust Asura."

"And now..."

His forced smile was unsettling—cold, lifeless, filled with quiet despair.

"Once again, I have no choice but to trust you."

"Shigen, don't despair..."

Black Zetsu stared at him.

It had seen this look before.

Back when he was first resurrected.

It made Black Zetsu... sad.

Damn that Hagoromo!

Black Zetsu silently cursed the Sage of Six Paths.

That bastard had already died, yet he had nearly destroyed its plans!

Not only had he refused to save the world—he had also shattered Kaguya's image in Shigen's heart!

That bastard...

Had changed its pawn this much.

Even weakened his spirit to the same broken state as before.

The Sage of Six Paths was no better than Asura!

This was Shigen.

The man who had always believed in a better future.

The man who had once been unstoppable.

But...

None of that mattered now.

Black Zetsu sighed in relief.

It had regained Shigen's trust.

Everything else could be fixed later.

"By the way..."

"You're in Akatsuki too?"

"Why are you wearing the same cloak as Orochimaru?"

Shigen frowned.

"Orochimaru told me Akatsuki's leader is someone called Pain—a Rinnegan wielder who wants to rule the world."

"He said he was ordered to infiltrate Akatsuki to destroy it. That's why he used Edo Tensei to revive me—to gain intel on the Rinnegan and defeat Pain."

"Lord Shigen..."

"It seems you've been deceived."

White Zetsu finally spoke up.

"Orochimaru defected from Konoha long ago."

"And Akatsuki isn't about ruling the world—we're gathering the Tailed Beasts."

"...Huh?"

Shigen frowned.

"But Orochimaru told me he defected on orders... and he didn't seem to be lying."

"..."

Black and White Zetsu's expressions darkened.

Orochimaru...

Was he really a spy from Konoha!?

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